Lifestyle
The Annenberg Retreat At Sunnylands Is Open
Entrance of the new Sunnylands Center. Photo by Kerun Ip.
An incomparable gift to the nation from the late Walter and Leonore Annenberg, the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands opened to the public this month. Sunnylands is a 200-acre oasis in Rancho Mirage, CA, near Palm Springs. Originally built as the winter home for the Annenbergs, it will now function as a high-level, private retreat facility as well as a center for public visitation with an exhibition program, tours, café and bookshop.
View of the reflecting pools and the rear of the Center, with the Palo Verde trees in bloom. Photo by the Office of James Burnett.
Sunnylands includes the Annenbergs’ 25,000 sq. ft. estate designed by Southern California architect A. Quincy Jones, completed in 1966. It is augmented by the newly-built Sunnylands Center and Gardens. The Center is a 17,000 sq. ft. building, completed in 2011 by Frederick Fisher & Partners. The Gardens, designed by the Office of James Burnett, occupy nine acres and consist of more than 53,000 individual plants, 1.25 miles of walking paths and a labyrinth for spiritual contemplation. The grounds also include a nine-hole golf course and eleven lakes. Each aspect of the property manifests the highest standard of aesthetic excellence – the architecture, the furniture, the works of art, the landscaping, the views of Mt. San Jacinto – are all individually outstanding. Together they are magnificent.
The veranda at the estate house. Mt. San Jacinto in the background.
View of the reflecting pools and gardens. Photo by Paul Hester.
The swimming pool and rear view of estate house.
The labrynth
Walter Annenberg was a publisher, ambassador and philanthropist. From the outset, Sunnylands was created not only as a home, but as a place of reflection, inquiry and recreation for the Annenbergs and their international array of guests drawn from the pinnacle of global leadership. Seven U.S. presidents, from Eisenhower to Clinton, international figures such as Queen Elizabeth and Margaret Thatcher, and celebrities including Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope enjoyed the Annenbergs’ unparalleled hospitality. In this tradition, a primary goal of Sunnylands is to continue the exploration of ideas and issues through retreats among leaders in government, education, philanthropy, arts and culture, science and medicine.
View of the Grand Hall inside the new Center. Photo by Mark Davidson.
The living room of the estate house, which features many original furniture designs by decorator William Haines. Photo by Graydon Wood.
A view into the atrium of the estate house. The sculpture in the center of the atrium is an original casting of Eve by Auguste Rodin, 1881. Photo by Graydon Wood.
During their 50-year marriage, the Annenbergs assembled numerous collections including the selections of breathtaking silver-gilt and Steuben glass currently on view at Sunnylands. The Annenbergs’ collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings was among the most important in the world. Masterpieces by Monet, Cezanne, Degas, Renoir and Van Gogh graced the walls of Sunnylands. In 1991, on the eve of his 83rd birthday, Walter Annenberg announced that more than 50 of these exemplary works would be gifted to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The gift was estimated to be worth over $1 billion. Today reproductions of those paintings in period frames hang on the walls at Sunnylands to maintain the authentic experience of the home. Original works of sculpture by Rodin, Giacometti, Bertoia and Arp continue to be on view, along with beautiful Chinese and Meissen porcelain. Numerous photographs, letters, books and other memorabilia recount the history of the very rich life lived at Sunnylands. The collections will be part of the changing exhibition program at the center, along with films and other educational presentations.
The Room of Memories at the estate house.
Wall of photographs in the Room of Memories.
Lee and Walter Annenberg with President Clinton at the entrance to the estate house on Valentine’s Day, 1995. Official White House photo.
L to R: Prince Phillip, Lee Annenberg, Queen Elizabeth, and Walter Annenberg stand in front of the entrance to the estate house during the Queen’s visit in Feb. 1983.
The Sunnylands Center and Gardens is open Thursday through Sunday, free of charge. There is a $35 fee for a guided 90-minute tour of the residence and grounds, available by reservation. Reservations can be made at www.sunnylands.org.
